Advice from Job Opportunist

My LinkedIn account has seen an increase in activity from recruiters lately. I am one year into my first job, and I am certainly comfortable with extending my stay for another year.

I declined two invitations to discuss opportunities with other employers because of the fact I am in no rush to leave my current company. One of my buddies pointed out to me that this is dumb on my part to not peek into what these recruiters are offering. So I ask, what are some tips from the Money Board on going about this situation. Has anyone done this before and received an offer that completely sidetracked you?

I know my company pays me on the low end compared to the average in my field. I felt it was justifiable coming right out of college and having to learn the ins and outs. Now that I have experience in the field the idea is really beginning to fester within, since it was mentioned to me, to look into these other opportunities that are being presented to me.

I had an opportunity to leave my job for a 40% increase in pay about 10 months after I started. It was tempting but I didn't take it. I don't think I would leave for less than a 75% increase in pay within my first 2 years. It would take a 40-50% increase from years 2-4 and it would matter more about upward mobility (on both sides) after that.

quote:I had an opportunity to leave my job for a 40% increase in pay about 10 months after I started

Regarding this tidbit, did you leverage it with the employer you were at to get better pay? Or did you simply sweep it under the rug?

I'm not so much looking to move upward to management in the next few years. More so I am looking to get a better pay. I am very comfortable with my job, and it is constantly changing/involving new skills. So me being comfortable with not moving up is not hindering me one bit. As long as I continue to master new skills, I increase my reputation within the community.

Salary growth and increased bonuses for my position is available at other firms. The average salary on most sites is in the ballpark of 27-45% increase on what I currently make. The reason my salary is good is the fact I live in a low cost of living area. Although most of the firms that offer better pay are in expensive cities, they do allow the employee to work from home which negates the cost of living argument.

I simply have my profile as public to everyone. Go to Settings > Edit your public profile. There you can configure how much is public.

Another thing I have done is join several LinkedIn groups to increase exposure to the work community I am in. I think most of my hits from recruiters come from the groups and my network of coworkers who have applied for positions.

It appears this worked out well for you so I'm assuming you had no regrets from doing this?

For me there are several advantages for me to stay where I am. The lone disadvantage is the low salary. I have several resources at my side and I am constantly learning, which to me is a game changer. With that in mind, I want to prevent any tunnel vision I may develop with the mindset of being comfortable

In finance, the real money is made ~10 years down the road. It's very important for me to have a good resume when/if I make a job move 5-7 years into my career. Looking like a chronic job hopper would certainly not be good.

Also, the average pay increase per year in my role is around 10-15%, one particular guy I work with has probably averaged 30% per year in pay raises over several years.

Not much, other than I can get another job making more money. It was the same industry.

quote:to see what areas I should improve on to become a more attractive hire.

1) your resume. Chances are, it probably sucks and you don't know it. I can't tell you how many great candidates have terrible resumes. It says a lot about your attention to detail. Get someone who hires people in your industry to look at yours and ask him to be as brutal as possible.

2) Your suit. Seems dumb, but studies show that appearances account for the majority of the hiring managers decision in a face to face interview. Chances are you've already done a phone interview and they've seen all your experience. The face to face is all about likeability, and appearance drives that.